Daily Republican., 1887-04-01
The Navy Yard At " arlington.
tCommunicated,l

| The Navy Yard At " Warrington.
tCommunicated.l
In view OF the fact that the new,
lpapers Of the land have for some year
0oen 10 the habit Of describing Oh
utter inef1ictency prevalent as our nav
yards, and the way In which everythiD
contained In them 10 slowly rotting +
pieces, . glance at the true state OF 81
fairs - exemplified ct the Washington
yard may not be without interest," 3
your readers.
Being familiar with the picture
given By Puck and other funny paper
OF such places, IL was with the idea o
witnessing q scene of ruin and desols
ton, pnrall led only by that of Charles
tou after the eatthquaks last summsr
that started out for this one few
days aso. How greatly l waa rnistak CT
In the idea ies the reaoer judge from
/ what loliows:
Passing this sentry n. the heavy arch
I'd gateway, found myself on a gently
sloping road giving upon what Appear
cd more like u small village than an y
| thing eide. Casting q sweesing glance
ali around, one fiDds on his right hand
| the residences OF the Off cers OF the ma
rine c,rps stationed here, while neal
| the waters edge are the twoRreat build
ings In which sumo OF the finest shi o,
ofAour navy have been built
Taking . closer view Of things sbou'
him, the first ones likely to attract ths
VISITORS attention are two large and
| beautifully nodded brass cannon, sta
ated near the gate and pointed toward,
It. A small card attached to each Ia
forms the curious sightseer that on thu
81 OF August, 1874, Lieutenant Deca
tur, in command of an American gun.
boat off Tripoli, boarded and captured
Ia succession two Tripolitan Runboats
armed with these gune. A closer in.
spectton OF the guns themselves reveals
the fact that they were made in Barce
Iona In 1874. one bearing the word
"Corzo" and the other "Csmme.lc,"
Further down this strsst is small but
more beautiful gun, captured at Simo.
n1ekf, Japan, IN september Of the year
1854. There are many more such "tro.
ply" euns scattered about the yard.
On this street is located the shop in
which anchors are made, and enc sees
ten or twelve of these huge emb'ems of
hope scattered around outside the build
ing Here alsO are turned cut the hinge
chain cables used in connection with
ths anchors. The shop below this IL
far more Interesting, as 1t is here that
the guns used in iitting out war vessels
are made. Space dors NOT permit me
to give an account OF the constr uction
of these; suffice it 10 say that each one
Ia In itself a model Of beauty and
utility.
Down near the waters edge Is long,
low building, having port holes on the
side nearest the river and containing
several csnnoIB. mounted and ready
TOR use. Near these are the ship build
iugs, which, however, have not oeen in
use for several years They will short
ly be tom down, ss by IL recent act ut
Congress the Washington yard will
hereafter bs used only for the purpose
OF fitting ont vessels. There are also
copper, boiler and many other shop3 In
the yard, tnI ming out everything me-
eassary for fitting OUT q vessel and a!
completely equipped.
at the time OF my visit thers we're
oa'y three vessels In port. tbs "Alba.
tross," the recruiting ship "Dale," and
one monitor. i was only abba to board
the first two, the third being anchored
out In the slipt, and found them naa,
we'll kept and complete in every par.
iicular.
Tbs muatum In tle -ard contains
many curious relics, among them part
of the surn post of the "Kears xe,"
with she'll fired from the Alabama"
imbedded In 1t: brass cannon cast in
Spain In 1880, and used By Corts In the
conquest of Peru; small mortar cap.
tur.o from CORVALLIS; a small cannon
recovered while dredging in the chan
mel in front of tho yard, supposed to be
orc OF the guns of the -s4eee--of war
ARGUS" which was burnt by order of
the Secretary OF the Navy, August "a,
1914, on the invasion OF the British, and
many specimens OF army guns, swords
and other pieces of ordnance.
While l was there a slight fire broke
out In one CT the shops. and the ser
vices OF tha sailors were called into
reqnisition TO ''man" the hose eayriaee
A well directed stream or water soo-
distinguished the blazs, ard then the
jolly tars with their usual "Heave, no, !"
seized hold OF the "tiller rope" and
started on O run to pull the carriage
back to the engine house.
Their wide trousers seemed to give
them great deal of trouble. and in
turning stTeet corners sems OF the more
mischievous among tho younger mem.
bers OF the party would swing round 60
sharply as to tend one or two of their
less active elders sp,awline all over,
much TO their own discomfor;. and the
amusement OF the young rascals who
caused 1t.
Nothing but the ar eatest activity was
apparent anywhere, and il the same
state OF things prevails in other yards
throughout the country Unclo Sammy
Ia not snch n despicable foe after ali,
and any European power who is "spil.
Ing for fight" had better look around
her little before the kocks the chip If
the shoulder Of that old blue coat he
sports. AS for thu jokes of Puck, L life
anu the other "funny" papers about
cur desolate navy yards, they are on a
par evidently With those upon s'our
mother. in law"
CHARLES B. MERRIcK.
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